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AN APPEAL ^S|
I THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC, 1
—ON THK—
Inconsistency of War
WITH THE—
GOSPEL DISPENSATION,
"SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,"
IN CANADA.
NEWMARKET:
Phjntrk at thk "Nkwmahket Eba" Book and Job Office, Main 8t.
18 69
B^&gnfegO&feK^^
AN APPEAL
TO THE CHEISTIAN PUBLIC,
ON" THE
Inconsistency of War with the Gospel Dispensation,
—BY THE-
SOCIETY OP FRIENDS IN CANADA,
o
AT A M E ETI N G
F the Representatives of the Eeligious Society of Friends, in
in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, under a
solemn sense of our Responsibility, as professed Christians,
to advocate the cause of our glorified Captain — the great
Prince of Peace, we feel constrained in the love of Christ,
to lay before the christian public the following
APPEAL :
Christian Friends, —
The great question of "whether carnal warfare can be
reconciled with the principles and spirit of the christian religion,'*
should, and, may we not hope, is claiming, the serious attention
of the christian world. If we view the subject only in its financial
relations, a deep consideration of it is well worthy of the profound
attention not only of the christian, but of the statesman and the
philanthropist. The celebrated Thomas Dick says: — "Had the
money which has been expended even by professed christian
nations during the past century, in the madness of warfare, been
expended for philanthropic purposes, it would have been sufficient
to have cultivated all the wastes of our globe, and to have made
' the wilderness to blossom as the rose;' " Isaiah chap. 35 ; ver. 1.
I \A
1229
AN APPEAL
It is a fact with which every student of history is familiar, that
nearly all nations, more particularly those called christian, are at
this moment groaning under the heavy burden of national indebt-
edness, which has been the accumulation of years, and is admit-
tedly, to a great extent, the consequence of a preparation for, or
engagement in, actual warfare; although a large majority of those
interested, may be as infatuated as ever, upon the subject of
military operations, and as willing as their predecessors to
increase those burdens by augmenting the national liabilities, for
these questionable purposes, under the mistaken notion of patriot-
ism and duty. Yet, it can scarcely 6e doubted, but that the time
will come when those grievous pecuniary burdens will be viewed
from a different stand-point ; and will then be regarded as a
melancholy evidence of the folly and Anti-Christian usages of a
by-gone age.
It surely is a lamentable consideration, that while the public
funds are doled out with a parsimonious hand, (comparatively
speaking,) to feed the poor — clothe the naked — raise the humbler
classes of all nations from ignorance and its oft consequent effects,
crime, and fit them for their several duties, as peaceful and law-
abiding citizens of the State, that the same funds are not only
spent with a liberal hand, but even in reckless profusion, to teach
a professedly christian population the most complete mode of
human slaughter. Now, we solemnly appeal to the purer feelings
of every spiritual christian, who must believe the truth of the
apostolic declaration, that "God is love:" 1st John ,chap. 4; 16
ver., and ask him to query with himself whether the present
course of the nations of the earth in their efforts to cultivate a
military spirit is at all in harmony with the professed spirit of the
boasted christian civilization of this enlightened time ? or whether
it is not a retrograde movement more in accordance with the bar-
barous usages of a by-gone age, where an Alexander was said to
weep because he had no more worlds to conquer, and when the
highest ambition of the most refined heathen ruler was to make
every man a soldier ? We respectfully ask attention for a moment
to the position of a soldier, presuming that individual responsibility
to the Great Supreme will be freely conceded : and in view of that
responsibility, how is it possible for any man to pledge himself, by
oath or otherwise, to yield unreserved obedience to the will of
another ; and as military discipline requires this indisputable obedi-
ence, and as military operations could not successfully be carried'
on without it, does it not plainly follow that when a professed
christian becomes a soldier he makes a deliberate attempt to
achieve a Scriptural impossibility? viz: — that of serving two-
masters. — Matthew, chap. 6 ; ver. 24.
AN APPEAL
In looking more particularly at the moral aspect of the ques-
tion, strange as it may appear, we find even the professed christian
portion of the world, divided in sentiment. While on the one
hand it is claimed that God only works by means, and that he
would fail to protect us though we should wholly rely upon him if
we did not make every possible effort to defend ourselves, when
in the language of Paley, " an injury was perpetrated, attempted or
feared." On the other hand it is claimed that war, under every
circumstance, is Anti-Christian and inexpedient : that a govern-
ment established upon the only proper basis— the basis of Christi-
anity, and conducted under the benign influence of its pure and
peaceable spirit, will need no other protection than the guardian-
ship of the Supreme Euler of the world.
The attentive observer will not marvel at this diversity of
sentiment, more especially when he calls to mind, that what has
happened may again transpire, " and as the leaders of the people
once caused them to err:" Isaiah, chap. 9; ver. 16, even so now in
reference to the subject before us, may we not trace the errors in
Sublic sentiment, not only to the cause of many ministers of the
ospel, but to the melancholy fact that some of those professedly
delegated shepherds of the flock are actually found defending the
practice, and encouraging their brethren to engage in its bloody
work. Some of us can call to mind a lamentable illustration of
this truth, during the time of the Crimean war. On a certain
occasion, while the allied armies lay before Sebastopol. a prominent
minister of a highly respected christian church, delivered a public
lecture, in which he undertook to defend the anomalous doctrine
that the meek and devoted followers of the Prince of Peace might
justly engage in war; and as the present one was, he assured
them, altogether justifiable, that christians ought to pray for its
onward progress. Said lecture was published for general circula-
tion, as would appear, under the sanction of the church itself.
"VVe can scarcely divest ourselves of the belief that this unfortunate
state of the case arises mainly from the want of a candid inquiry
into the Scriptural grounds of the question. This belief is further
strengthened by the course too generally pursued by the clergy of
the United States, during the late civil war. They no doubt
greatly encouraged the combatants on both sides, not only bv
their prayers and exhortations, but some of them engaged in the
service, and became active combatants themselves; and if reports
say true soon shared the leavening influence of the School in which
they were being instructed. "Know ye not," says the Apostle,
"that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump:" Galatians, chap,
5 ; ver. 9 : thereby clearly proving that the camp and battle-field
are not the most eligible places to cultivate the graces of the spirit.
AN APPEAL
We claim that it is matter of historical record, that in the first
and purest ages of the christian church, its votaries did not bear
arms. They evidently considered it no part of their business to
slaughter each other, or even to learn the Art. Like as they pro-
fessed to be the followers of the Prince of Peace, and felt it to be
their bounden duly, faithfully, to follow his self-denying unresist-
ing example, they knew he had commanded them not only to love
one another but even their enemies: Matt. chap. 5 ; ver. 44: and
that if they would be his friends, they must " obey his commands ;"
John, chap. 15; ver. 14. They prayed for their sovereign; but
took no part in his wars. They declared that the Saviour, by
disarming Peter, had disarmed every soldier; and that since that
time, it had been unlawful for christians to fight, because the
prophecy had been fulfilled and the time had arrived when the
people of God "should not learn war any more:" Micah, chap. 4;
ver. 3. They evidently took the same view of the origin of war
that the Apostle did when he queried — " From whence come wars
and fightings among you ? come they not hence even of your
lusts that war in your numbers?" James chap. 4; ver. 1. We
trust that it will be freely conceded, that the Holy Scriptures tell
us that the time will arrive " when they shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain," and "the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea:" Isaiah, chap.
11 ; ver. 9 : and then "he will break the bow and the sword and
the battle out of the earth :" Hosca, chap. 2 ; ver. 18. Observation
also enables us to believe it to be the general sentiment of chris-
tians, that at that period the pacific character of Gospel times, as
delineated by the Lord's prophets, will be fully displayed, when
he to whom the Psalmist referred, when he said — "Thy throne,
O God is forever and ever, the sceptre of thy kingdom is a light
sceptre:" Psalms 45; ver. 6. The Prince of Peace will establish
the universality of his kingdom, and his sovereignty be unreserv-
edly acknowledged, when the church as the Jight of the world,
will more visibly appear in all its beauty and power — " Fair as the
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners:"
Song of Solomon, chap. 6 ; ver. 10 : or, when being represented as
a king's daughter, she shall "be all glorious within, and her
clothing (or external appearance will be comparable to) wrought
gold :" Psalms 45 ; ver. 13, And as the prayers of the church are
daily offered at the throne of Grace, that the great Disposer of
events will be pleased to hasten that happy period, we ask in
common candor, are these prayers offered in faith ? and if so, what
is the nature and character of that faith ? Is it a living faith in
the power and efficacy of the Gospel that will exert its leavening
influence upon the corrupt nature of fallen man until all is brought
AN APPEAL
into harmony with the pure and peaceful character of its Divine
Author — a "faith that works by love, and purifies the heart:*'
Galatians, chap. 5; ver. 6: and Acts, chap. 15; ver. 9. Or must
we regard these prayers as prompted by il more historical faith,
and therefore dead — arising out of the vague notion that these
things must he accomplished because they are predicted by the
spirit of prophecy without having any intelligent views as to how
they are to be completed, or without striving to exercise a living,
practical, experimental faith in the power of the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus, it being the last dispensation of God to man, where is
to be found ample provision for all his needs and which is that
alone that will ever be found to be the healer of breaches and the
restorer of man to his primeval state " when the morning stars
sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy:" Job, chap,
38; ver. 7. "When in every place incense shall be otfered to his
Holy name a pure offering:" Malachi, chap, 1; ver. 11.
We declare our conviction, that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ
alone which will renovate the world, and that we are not warrant?
ed in expecting any other Gospel, or, in looking for any new or
marvellous display of Divine power to usher in the golden age of
the Church, which christians have been apparently expecting for
eighteen centuries.
And here we would ask, if there is not a serious clanger
that christians, in reference to this important point, may be found
occupying similar ground with the Jews of old, respecting the
advent of the blessed Saviour. They believed in his coming, and
that the time had nearly arrived when he should appear — were
daily looking for him, and no doubt daily pra}dng for the auspi-
cious event; and although every circumstance conspired to bear
testimony to his claim as being, He that should come, yet they
refused to receive him, or listen to his highly instructive messages
of love, which he so freely offered for their consideration.
The christian church is also looking for a second advent,
when it is expected his peaceable Kingdom will be established;
and it is a serious question, whether upon this subject the views
of its members are not too outward and carnal, and hence fail
sufficiently to recognize, the great Gospel truth that the Kingdom
of God is within — "that it cometh not with observation," Luke
17 chap., 20 ver., " but with power," 1st Corinthians, 4 chap. 20 ver.,
"that it does not consist in meat and drink, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Ghost," Komans, 14 chap., 17 ver. —
And that as citizens of that Spiritual Kingdom, Christians are
bound to render implicit obedience to all the laws, by which it is
governed. We have plainly unfolded in the Scriptures of truth, a
code of the most sublime doctrines and purest ethics ever delivered
fe A N A P P E A L .
to man, bearing evident stamp of their Divine origin, having the
seal of the great King and only lawgiver and rightful head and
ruler of his people. We find them throughout inculcating this
undeniable truth that God is love and that they only are his people
who dwell in love.
Wo may draw instruction from the fact that the advocates of
war though professedly christian, depend almost exclusively for
its defence on the Jewish Scriptures. They wisely refrain from
any lahoured attempt to make the Prince of Peace, or his inspired
apostles, the abettors of war. They, however, generally refer to
two passages in the New Testament as a kind of negative testimo-
ny in their favour. We trust these will be found, after a candid
investigation to give no countenance to such a doctrine. The fact
that the Saviour accepted the faith of the Roman Centurion with-
out noticing his profession, no more proves that he approved of war,
than his silence in reference to his idolatory, proves that his dis-
pensation admits the worship of idols. As to the language of the
Baptist, had he directly approved of war, it would have had no
bearing on the duties of the christian, because he only lived
during the old dispensation and we might naturally suppose that
his teachings would be in harmony therewith. This was not the
christian system : he only predicted it to be near at hand. It
however appears difficulty to see in what way he approved of
war, or how that universally acknowledged evil could be pur-
sued under his instructions. True, he did not directly declare
against the military system; but he assuredly prohibited its practice
when he charged the soldiers to "do violence to no man," Luke,
3 chap., 14 ver.
Probably Paley offered a sufficient explanation in reference
to the course pursued by the followers of our Lord on this question,
which says, — "Christianity soliciting admission into the various
portions of the earth " abstained, as behoved it, from meddling with
the civil institutions of any," but does it follow from the silence
of scripture on the subject that all the existing institutions, were
good, or that the bad should not be exchanged for the better. —
We trust it will be admitted that the most learned casuist would
labour in vaiq, should he attempt to show in what way a successful
campaign could be conducted on christian principles, or in
accordance wjth the teachings of the Baptist. Surely he would
not recommend that an army, on the eve of a battle, should be
charged "to do violence to no man," nor would he recommend that
their thirst for blood should be lessened, by teaching them "to
love their enemies," Matthew, 5 chap., 39 and 44, vers., and
Rom. 12, 2 ver., to give them food and drink, and above all "to
resist not evil." The truth in this case will best appear by adopt-
AN APPEAL
ing the rational conclusion of Wellington, when he significantly
said " that no man with any nice sense of religion had any busi-
ness in the army." It remains to be the settled conviction of the
society of Friends that all wars are not only anti-christian and
inexpedient, but wholly impolitic and unnecessary ; and that should
an honest effort be made by any of the great powers of Europe or
America to establish an international court, clothed with ample
powers to take cognizance of all national disputes, such an effort,
so in harmony with the principles of Christianity and philanthropy
must inevitably be crowned with success.
We would here suggest that no christian ought to engage in
any work or calling on which he cannot in sincsrity of faith, ask
the blessing of God. In view of this fact, we ask the reader
mentally to visit one of those horrifying scenes presented by a
battle field at the close of a stubbornly contested engagement. — '
We do not wish to bring to his view any of those sanguinary
conflicts once waged between Greece and Persia, or Eome and
Carthage, bloody and repulsive as they are recorded in history,
these being the work of the heathen and comparative barbarian ;
nor yet, to the more modern battles of Wellington and Napoleon.
Neither to those dreadful slaughters in the Crimea, at the account
of which the ear was pained and the soul sick with the daily
report ; but we will draw attention to one of those revolting scenes
presented in the late civil war, among our neighbours, brethren
of the same household of faith, worshippers professedly of the*
same G-od of love. Take for instance the battle of Getteysburg :
can we suppose that any sane man can possibly believe that what
is represented, as being there presented to the view of the beholder,
could be the work of christian brethren, when the dead and
dying were spread in dread confusion over the bloody field, when 1 '
human beings originally created in the Divine image designed to'
reflect the glory of God and to be his ministers in works of mercy'
and benevolence, when those for whom a Savour bled and' died,-
lay wounded and slaughtered by hundreds and thousands in ! every
conceivable form — when the groans and shrieks emanating from
these mutilated forms of humanity, were enough to melt the most
stony hearts, and then tell us, can such be the fruit of our Holy
Religion, the Religion of Jesus ? Can any one believe that such
work was ever perpetrated by the true followers of Christ? " Ye
shall know them by their fruits, do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles," Matthew, chap. 7, 16 ver. u By this shall all
men know that ye are my desciples, if ye have love one to another,"
John chap. 13, 35 ver. "His servants ye are to whom ye yield ;
yourselves servants to obey," Rom. chap. 6, 16 ver. And "every'
tree is known by its fruits," Matthew chap. 12, ver. 33,
8 A N A P P E A 1,
The follower of Mahomet may indeed appear consistent when
supplicating for aid, because, it is said, that his religion constantly
{iresents to the view of his mind, that such work will heighten'
lis enjoyment and promote his welcome to his sensual paradise ;
but can the humble christian, whose God is love, and whose only
Meditator is the Prince of Peace — can such, we say, become so
engrossed in darkness as to make himself believe that his good
spirit will help and instruct him to pray for the consummation of
such a barbarous and bloody work? In conclusion we may add,
it will doubtless plainly appear, that we have not, attempted to
bring any considerable portion of the evidence which might be
adduced against the practice of war. This important subject has,
at different times, been ably handled by men pre-eminent for
education, philanthropy and piety; among whom we find Eras-
mus, Watson, Fox, Wesley, Dymond, Clurney, ITpham, and
others, to whose works on the subject we respectfully refer the
reader.
Our object at present is not to argue the question, but simply
to endeavor to arouse public attention to the subject, and if
possible, to enlist the sympathy and influence of a christian'
people; but more especial \y the powerful influence of all gospel-
ministers, to help to impress upon the public mind the enormity
of the evils of war, that these may, in a peculiar manner, have a
claim to the blessing promised to the peacemakers, by endeavor-
ing to bring about that great event promised in the Bible, looked
for by the church, and daily asked for in the prayers of its
individual members ; a day in which the sword shall cease to
devour — when the " battle of the warrior is with confused noise,
and garments rolled in blood shall no longer be known ;" Isaiah,
chap. 9, 5th verse. " When they shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks ; nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more ;" Isaiah, chap. 2, 4th verse. " When violence shall no
more be heard in our land, wasting nor distraction within our
borders ; but we shall call our walls salvation and our gates
praise ;" Isaiah, chap. 60, 18th verse.
Signed, on behalf and by direction of a meeting of the Representatives
of the Religious Society of Friends, of the Yearly Meeting of
Canada, held at Pickering, Province of Ontario, Dominion of
Canada, the 23rd and 2Uh of 2nd month, 1869.
IEA CLAEK, Clerk
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